Legendary Chicago Top 40 disc jockey Dick Biondi dead at 90, station announces

Dick Biondi, who cheerfully entertained Top 40 radio station listeners in Chicago over six decades, died June 26 at his Chicago home, WLS 890-AM announced Saturday. He was 90.

Regarded by some as the greatest disc jockey of all time, Biondi is enshrined in the National Radio Hall of Fame, the radio exhibit of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the Illinois Broadcasters Association Hall of Fame, media critic Robert Feder wrote. In 2010 the city of Chicago celebrated the 50th anniversary of his start on the air in the city by naming the alley south of the old WLS studios "Dick Biondi Way."

In September 2017 when Biondi turned 85, WLS/94.7-FM honored the legendary personality with a daylong celebration that included an outpouring of on-air salutes and social media messages along with a "Happy Birthday, Dick Biondi" Web page. No one knew it at the time, but those tributes turned out to be Biondi's farewell from the Cumulus Media classic hits station.

Fans had been awaiting his comeback since April 2017 when Biondi was hospitalized for what was described as a leg ailment. Several weeks later, he said in a statement that doctors were doing all they can "to get me back into fighting shape."

At night on Top 40 powerhouse WLS 890-AM from 1960 to 1963, "The Wild I-Tralian" commanded a 60% share of all listeners, attracting millions of adoring teens in 38 states and Canada, Feder wrote. After numerous stops along the way that included WCFL, WMAQ, WBBM and WJMK and a couple of others outside Chicago, he was reunited with the iconic call letters at WLS 94.7-FM in 2006.

That came after WJMK changed away from its oldies format in 2005 and, per the terms of his contract, he continued to do a nightly oldies show on the internet and HD radio. His audience shrunk greatly, and the station finally let Biondi go. He was 73 at that time and had spent 21 years at the WJMK.

"If I didn't get a job, I was going to go to Target and be the person who says, 'Welcome to Target!' because I love talking to people so much," Biondi said in a 2006 interview. "(Being a DJ) is all I ever wanted to do."

Starting out as a small-town DJ in New York, he quickly moved up to the nation's top stations, arriving at Chicago in 1960 on WLS 890-AM, "The Big 89." His popular show was heard in 40 states and parts of Canada.

Biondi picked much of the rock 'n' roll music that was played and, as a result, influenced the careers of people like Elvis Presley and Jerry Lee Lewis. He was the first DJ in America to play a Beatles record, "Please Please Me," in 1963 and introduced the Fab Four at a few huge concerts.

In his heyday, people gathered outside the old WLS studio at Michigan Avenue and Wacker Drive and watched his show live. He recorded a popular novelty record, "On Top of a Pizza," and spun records at hundreds of sock hops, social gatherings and charity events across the Chicago area.

Biondi also for several years appeared at suburban malls to lead toy drives for charity. And he reveled in public appearances, unlike other disc jockeys.

"They're fun, appearances," Biondi said in 2006. "I can't understand why celebrities wear dark sunglasses and walk around with 12 bodyguards around them. Why would you do that? I love for people to come up and say hello. Maybe that's the Italian in me."

Richard Orlando Biondi was born Sept. 13, 1932, in Endicott, New York, to Mike and Rose Biondi. He is survived by his wife, Maribeth, brother Geri, brothers-in-law Ron and Larry (Kathleen), and many nieces, nephews and cousins, WLS said. Private services were held.